In eight studies, we found that participants shown ID-style photos of people they’d never met were able to recognise the first name of the depicted person well above the chance level. For example, let’s say you live in North America and are shown a picture of a woman whose name is Emily (you aren’t given this information). Below her image four possible first names are listed: Claire, Deborah, Emily, and Melissa. Assuming that the first names are equally common in North America in and around the year that the person was born, study participants should pick the correct name approximately 25 percent of the time—by chance. What we found is that participants typically choose the depicted person’s true first name 35 percent to 40 percent of the time. In other words, there is something about an Emily that … just looks like an Emily.

The theory is that when a child receives a first name, it’s already so loaded with stereotypes, for better or worse. Those social pressures weigh on the name-wearers, influencing their perception of themselves, and in turn, the development of their appearance. So for instance, if you give your baby a happy-sounding name—let’s say Joy—she may develop specific facial traits, like certain smile lines, that fit the stereotypes the culture has set for Joy. In the study, this so-called “face-name effect” didn’t occur when participants looked at photos of people from a different culture.